Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak once again about the issue of the unreasonable minimum price of lease rent costs for land leaseholders on that will lands in the NWT. Madam Speaker, this now marks my third Member's statement on this topic, and I am determined to continue to revisit this topic until I see some substantive changes to the current regime of minimum rent costs.
The primary reason why I continue to bring up this subject is simply because it's an important issue for my constituents. I know several people with land leases, and they're all very concerned about the new rent minimum cost that came in effect April 1, 2018. I'm talking about average people who have modest incomes.
Madam Speaker, as I stated in my previous statements, the minimum rent costs for territorial land lease went from $150 to $840 annually. Rather than side with the more reasonable approach of a gradual increase of these costs over a period of time, the Department of Lands decided to increase the lands all at once by nearly six full.
Madam Speaker, I don't know what went into this decision to initiate these changes all at once, but the decision-making process for this particular issue was seriously flawed, and I'm saying this as an attempt to embarrass the government for a bad decision, and I'm not saying this, I'm not saying this as an attempt to embarrass the government for a bad decision which it was. My goal, however, is to stand up for all rights-based land leaseholders and all permanent and long-time residents of the NWT to ensure they get the best deal possible in this situation.
In closing, Madam Speaker, I once again urge this government, more specifically, I urge the Minister of Lands, to reconsider the current course of his decision and not to make these new rent minimum costs permanent, at least not at its current price. I strongly recommend a more staggered approach to increasing these types of costs on people as that is much more reasonable and acceptable for people to incur. I will have questions for the Minister of Lands today. Thank you, Madam Speaker.